Bicycle alarm-whistle



(No Model.)

F. L. JOHNSON.

BICYCLE ALARM WHISTLE.

Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

PETERS, Pnowmmgnphnr. wnhnmon. D. C.

/zeewe STATES iii FREDERICK L. JOHNSON, OF W'ALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BICYCLE ALARM-WHISTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,745, dated September 22, 1885. Application tiled September E59, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FREDERICK L. JoHNsoN, of Vallingford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Bicycle Alarm-Whistles; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, which said drawings consitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure I, a side View, Fig. 2, a vertical central section; Fig. 3, a transverse section on line :c x, looking upward.

This invention relates to a device' constructed for attachment to bicycles, and by which an alarm or signal may be given by the rider to indicate his presence, the object of the invention being a simple construction of whistle, which may be made as a fixture to the machine, convenient for the operator, and by which he may readily give a signal of his approach; and the invention consists in the construction of the signal, as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims.

The whistle which I here represent is of the character known as tubular or steamwhistles, and it consists ofa head, A, in the outer end of which is a circular open slit, a. Below this head is the tube B, which in internal diameter corresponds substantially to the diameter of the slit a, the tube B being attached to the head by connections C, attached to the tube upon its outside, and below its open end, the said connections extending to and united with the head above and outside the slit, and so as to bring the mouth of the tube into such relation to the open slit a that air passing through the slit will impinge upon the edge of the tube and produce a sound, after the manner of what are known as steamwhistles.

The head A is constructed with a seat, D, upon which an elastic air-chamber, E, is set. This air-chamber is best made in the form of a hollow india-rubber ball, but when compressed to force the air it contains therefrom will resume its spherical condition and draw in air to support it in that condition. The

air-chamber E is iixed upon the seat D-say as by an aperture through the ball-with a nut, F, upon the inside, into which a corresponding screw on the head enters, to clamp the edge of the hole in the ball between the nut and the seat, and as seen in Fig. 2. The seat is provided with one or more shanks, G, to enter a corresponding socket or sockets, H. These sockets are constructed with a ange, I, by which the device may be attached to the machine, this attachment being intended to be made at the connection between the handle and the socket of the bicycle, and so as to stand centrally in front of the rider, in a convenient position for him to press his hand upon the air chamber, as represented in Fig. l, a portion ot' the bicyclesocket being there shown.

By compressing the air-chamber the air therein is forced through the slit a and driven against the end of the tube B, so as to produce a loud whistle, the chamber instantly resuming its spherical shape when the hand is removed. Repeated signals maybe given, or predetermined signals may be produced, according to any code which may be established, as a long whistle, a short whistle, or one, two, or more Whistles, in like manner as such signals are given by steam-whistles.

It will be understood that any of the known constructions of whistles may be applied to be sounded by the compression of the airchamber, and therefore, while I prefer the whistle I have described, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention thereto.

By the term bicycle, as used in the speciication and claims, I wish to be understood as including any of the numerous classes of vehicles which are arranged to bc propelled by the rider.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, a signal having an elastic air-chamber, by the compression of which air may be forced therefrom to sound the alarm, as such, I am aware, is not new.

I am also aware that such an elastic airchamber has been attached to a bicycle, as a convenient means for signaling, such attachment therefore I do not wish to be understood as broadly claiming.

I claiml. The combination of the head A, construct- IOO ed with a circular slit at its lower end, and with 2. The combination of the seat D, a Whistle a seat, D, also constructed for attachment to attached thereto, said seat constructed with a the bicycle, the tube B, having one end closed shank, G, the elastic air-chamber E, attached and the other open, the said tube attached to to said seat and opening into the Whistle, and

concentric with the slit in the head, the attachment between the tube and the head being from points outside the tube and below its open end to corresponding points outside the head and above the slit, with an elastic air-chamber, E, opening into said head, subsiantially as described.

' the head, with the open end'adjacent to and socket H, constructed to receive said shank G, and fitted for attachment to a bicycle, substantially as described.

FREDERICK L. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

HENRY MARTIN, O. J. MARTIN. 

